Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules

Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Pācittiya 45: Not to sit next to a woman in a place remote from others' ears.

  • Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner.

1. Bu-Pc.45, Bu-Pc.45.1, Bu-Pc.45.1.1, BD.2.360 … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, having gone to the house of a friend, sat down in a private place together with his wife, the one with the other. Then that man … spread it about, saying:

"How can master Upananda sit down in a private place together with a woman, the one with the other?"


2Monks heard this man who … spread it about. Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saving:

"How can the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, sit down in a private place together with a woman, the one with the other?" …

"Is it true, as is said, that you, Upananda, sat down … the one with the other?"

"It is true, lord."

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked him, saying:

"How can you, foolish man, sit down … the one with the other? It is not, foolish man, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:


3"Whatever monk should sit down in a private place together with a woman, the one with the other, there is an offence of expiation."

4 Whatever means: … is monk to be understood in this case.

5Woman means: a human woman, not a female yakkha, not a female departed one, not a female animal, one who is learned, competent to know good speech and bad speech, what is lewd and what is not lewd.


6 Together with means: together.

7The one with, the other means: there is a monk and also a woman.

8A private place means: private from the eye, private from the ear. Private from the eye means: if covering the eye, or raising the eyebrow, or raising the head, he is unable to see. Private from the ear means: it is impossible to hear ordinary talk.

9A secluded seat means: it is secluded by a wall built of wattle and daub or by a door or by a screen or by a screen-wall or by a tree or by a pillar or by a sack or by anything whatever.

Should sit down means: if a woman is sitting and a monk comes to be sitting or lying down close (to her), there is an offence of expiation; if a monk is sitting and a woman comes to be sitting or lying down close (to him), there is an offence of expiation. Or if both are sitting or if both are lying down, there is an offence of expiation.

10‒11 If he thinks that it is a woman when it is a woman (and) sits down in a private place, the one with the other, there is an offence of expiation. If he is in doubt as to whether it is a woman … If he thinks that it is not a woman when it is a woman … offence of expiation. If he sits down in a private place, the one with the other with a female yakkha or with a female departed one or with a eunuch or with an animal in woman’s form, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is a woman when it is not a woman, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a woman, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a woman when it is not a woman, there is no offence.


12 There is no offence if some learned friend comes to be (present); if he stands, does not sit; if he is not desirous of a private place; if he sits down thinking about something else; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.


13 The Fifth

1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto sahāyakassa gharaṃ gantvā tassa pajāpatiyā saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappesi. atha kho so puriso ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—  "kathañhi nāma ayyo upanando mayhaṃ pajāpatiyā saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappessatī"ti.


2 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tassa purisassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe …   te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—  "kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto mātugāmena saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappessatī"ti … pe …   "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, upananda, mātugāmena saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappesī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tvaṃ, moghapurisa, mātugāmena saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappessasi. netaṃ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pāsādāya … pe …   evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha— 


3 "yo pana bhikkhu mātugāmena saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappeyya, pācittiyan"ti. (45:94)

4 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe …   ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.

5 mātugāmo nāma manussitthī, na yakkhī na petī na tiracchānagatā, viññū paṭibalā subhāsitadubbhāsitaṃ duṭṭhullāduṭṭhullaṃ ājānituṃ.


6 saddhinti ekato.

7 eko ekāyāti bhikkhu ceva hoti mātugāmo ca.

8 raho nāma cakkhussa raho, sotassa raho. cakkhussa raho nāma na sakkā hoti akkhiṃ vā nikhaṇīyamāne bhamukaṃ vā ukkhipīyamāne sīsaṃ vā ukkhipīyamāne passituṃ. sotassa raho nāma na sakkā hoti pakatikathā sotuṃ.

9 nisajjaṃ kappeyyāti mātugāme nisinne bhikkhu upanisinno vā hoti upanipanno vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. bhikkhu nisinne mātugāmo upanisinno vā hoti upanipanno vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. ubho vā nisinnā honti ubho vā nipannā, āpatti pācittiyassa.

10 mātugāme mātugāmasaññī eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. mātugāme vematiko eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa. mātugāme amātugāmasaññī eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.

11 yakkhiyā vā petiyā vā paṇḍakena vā tiracchānagatamanussaviggahitthiyā vā saddhiṃ eko ekāya raho nisajjaṃ kappeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. amātugāme mātugāmasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. amātugāme vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. amātugāme amātugāmasaññī, anāpatti.


12 anāpatti—  yo koci viññū puriso dutiyo hoti, tiṭṭhati na nisīdati, arahopekkho aññavihito nisīdati, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.


13 rahonisajjasikkhāpadaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ pañcamaṃ.